This is just about the prettiest punch you can make this holiday season.
Don’t you think?
It makes use of everything wintry and wonderful and worth celebrating: pomegranate (both the juice and the arils), mint leaves for a pop of festive color, Meyer lemons – which are seasonal and just.the.best, and champagne – a celebration in itself. Plus, it’s served in a punch bowl. Guys, this is pretty much a guaranteed good time.
Merry Christmas Eve!
I’ve got a rad little last-minute idea for you. It’s super, super-simple. You’ll need fresh cranberries, mint, and an ice cube tray.
I bet you’re smart enough to figure out what’s happening here.
Yep, a cranberry and a couple of mint leaves go right into each of the ice cube cells. Fill with water – or, if you’re making something with lemon or lime in it, you could use a mixture of citrus and water. I think it’s best to stick with a relatively clear drink – because you want to see the pretty red and green party in the glass. White wine or champagne are a perfect vehicle.
The time to freeze varies depending on your freezer and the size of the ice cube tray, but you should be good in a few hours.
I got off, like, ridiculously easy this year. I was going to make this insane tiramisu eggnog trifle, but instead I was gifted a beautiful cheesecake that we’re going to enjoy.
All I’m in charge of is, as always, the cocktail – I’m making this gorgeous pomegranate-champagne punch – and putting together Ina’s sopressata and gruyère puff pastry appetizer from her latest cookbook, How Easy Is That?.
I mean, seriously…how easy is that?
*Cheers* and happy holidays to all!
It’s raining. It’s pouring. And I’d like a mojito.
The great thing about these mojitos is that it doesn’t matter what the weather’s about. It could be raining, sleeting, snowing, hailing – or whatever other craziness you Northerners must face… With a little prep in advance, you can enjoy a mojito anytime.
More and more, people are becoming concerned about what they put in their bodies.
{It’s about time}
So, when Lipton reached out to me and asked me to try some of their new 100% natural line of iced teas and then review them online, I was in.
You may be aware that this is my first time doing a compensated review on this blog. Allow me to say – that first of all, I would never give a positive review on a product unless I meant it, regardless of whether or not I’m being paid to say it. Thus, I would never agree to do something like this unless I was fairly certain that I would have good things to say.
Lucky for Lipton, that was the outcome. These new iced teas taste great, and I’m proud to be part of a campaign for a company that cares about their consumers and our needs.
I love that they’re offering both diet versions with no calories as well as regular iced teas that are still low in calories (50-70 per serving). I’d have to say my favorite regular flavor is the Iced Tea with Blueberry Pomegranate, and my favorite diet flavor is the Diet Green Tea with Watermelon. Delish.
I was also excited to receive a ton of cocktail recipes to try with the new iced teas. Because I’m loving the watermelon flavor the most (and because it’s diet), I’ll share Lipton’s suggestion for serving here. Perfect for summer cocktailing!
Watermelon-Lime Mint Punch
Thoroughly crush mint with wooden spoon on side of pitcher. Stir in green tea, lime juice, and rum. Let stand 30 minutes. Remove mint. Chill until ready to serve. Serve in ice-filled glasses and garnish, if desired, with additional mint and watermelon balls. Makes 5 servings.
To learn more about Lipton’s new natural iced teas, check out their Facebook page.
{I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Gen-Yknot on behalf of Lipton and received Lipton product samples and a subscription to Pandora One to facilitate my candid review. Gen-Yknot also sent me a promotional item to thank me for my time}
If you like mint chocolate chip ice cream, you will *die* for this pie.
It’s creamy. It’s minty. It’s decadent and sinful, light and refreshing – all rolled into one. It’s served frozen and drizzled in warm homemade fudge sauce.
{It’s pure perfection}
And I’m especially loving it for the holidays, thanks to its festive green hue. It’s a bit of a process to make, but so totally worth it. Here’s how it all goes down: You start with your Oreo crust, which is just one package of cookies {I actually use Newman’s Own brand} crushed and mixed with melted butter and then pressed into a pie plate. For the filling, get some egg yolks and an egg into your mixer bowl, and whip them until nice and thick. You then add your gelatin and crème de menthe. Next comes the trickiest part of it all, and it’s really not all that tricky – you’ll just need a candy thermometer. Heat some water and sugar until it gets to a certain temperature and then slowly add it to the egg mixture, keeping the mixer going on low speed. Then it’s time for my favorite ingredient of this pie – the marshmallow cream. Add that along with a touch of mint extract and whip it all up together for a couple of minutes. The last piece of the pie, if you will, is to whip a nice amount of cream up and fold it into the mixture. Now, you’re ready to pour it into the pie crust and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
The last touch for this pie that takes it truly over the top is the homemade fudge sauce. You could go without it, really, as the pie on its own is already pure perfection, but the sauce is so easy and so delicious – why not just go for it? Heat some cream and sugar and melt a combination of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate right into it. A touch of butter, a sprinkle of salt, and you’re there. Less than five minutes, and you just took your already perfect grasshopper pie right into pure, unadulterated chocolatey-mint heaven.
Be sure to check out Tara’s blog for the full recipe!
*Note of caution: You may have a hard time getting the frozen crust out of your pie plate, as I did. The first piece is the most difficult, and then it gets a little easier. Next time, I may try baking the crust for ten minutes first and letting it cool before filling and see if that helps.
Does lunch get any more fabulous when this is where you’re sitting?
Yes, it does. Enter melon-infused wine.
And gazpacho made with fresh green grapes, alongside tomato and mozzarella sandwiches.
Leave it to my fabulous Aunt Sandy to serve this up on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Honestly – she is the most wonderful aunt (friend, mentor, and woman, really) anyone could ask for – and I know I’m biased, but it’s the truth. She has inspired me since I was a little girl, and the recent discovery of my own passion for cooking has taken it to the next level. She’s a true gourmet chef, the hostess of all hostesses, and SO much more.
I have to say – my favorite part of the day was the discovery of this new way to enjoy white wine. All you do is take a melon baller and scoop your melon into balls (you can really use any melon here, but we did cantaloupe), place them into a carafe or pitcher, then pour your wine in (we used a pinot grigio) and let it soak for a day or so. The melon balls are like little sponges for the wine, you will be surprised at how much they absorb! We also added several fresh sprigs of mint, which was a perfect addition. The end result is so crisp and refreshing, and just *screams* to be drank on a beautiful spring day.
Then there was a little caprese sandwich station where she had set up beautifully thick tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, arugula, prosciutto, and turkey all on a stand, complete with mayonnaise, sun-dried tomato spread, and french bread, of course. The presentation was simple but made it so much more special than serving the sandwiches on a plate.
And what other way is there to eat a gazpacho other than out of a martini glass? This is what it’s all about – a simple change in serveware to make things fun and elegant. The gazpacho was a chilled, puréed mixture of green grapes, almonds, lowfat buttermilk, garlic, and scallions; it was so delicious and unique, and the garlic really took it to the next level.
{Note: This gazpacho was born from some extra grapes and buttermilk that my aunt needed to use – and that is my definition of a true chef. When you understand ingredients and how they work together, something as simple as leftovers in your fridge have the ability to form a perfect dish.}
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